Mumbai: Senior BJP leader and former Union minister Suryakanta Patil on Tuesday joined the NCP (SP). Ms Patil was welcomed by NCP founder Sharad Pawar and party’s Maharashtra president Jayant Patil. Pawar and Patil praised her leadership qualities stating that her return would future boost the NCP’s prospects in Nanded, Hingoli, Parbhani, Beed and other districts in Marathwada region where the BJP lost badly in the Lok Sabha elections..
Last week, Suryakanta Patil had resigned from the BJP’s primary membership after ten years. She had joined the BJP in 2014 after parting ways with the NCP. She had sought the BJP’s candidature from the Hingoli Lok Sabha seat, but she failed to get the ticket as the seat was contested by the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena.
Suryakanta Patil, who has represented the Hingoli-Nanded constituency four times as MP and once as MLA, was the minister of state for rural development and parliamentary affairs during the UPA-1 led Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh.
Ms Patil said many leaders wanted to join the Sharad Pawar-led NCP but they could not muster courage to face Sharad Pawar. “I have assured them that once i join the party and take them into the party fold,” the 75 year old leader said.
Mr. Pawar also indicated that his party’s door remained open to those MLAs who had not weakened the party amidst the split in the party. The NCP founder also said that he would consult his party colleagues before giving entry to such MLAs in the party.
In a response to a query regarding those who want to shift their loyalty towards NCP (SP), the NCP founder said that there is no problem in welcoming back those MLAs in the party fold wherever the party workers’ morale will be boosted. “But those who have worked to weaken the party and harm party interests will not be taken back,” Mr Pawar said in an apartment reference to Ajit Pawar and his close associates.
Mr. Pawar said that the decision to take back leaders will vary from case to case and there will be no general rule. Sone NCP legislators, who have joined the Ajit faction, worked for and helped NCP(SP) candidates during the recent Lok Sabha elections.
Following the Ajit Pawar camp’s poor performance in the recently concluded Lok Sabha election, there is a speculation that some of the legislators of the Ajit faction will return to the Sharad Pawar faction ahead of the state assembly polls.
However, Mr. Pawar said any decision will be taken only after consulting his party colleagues and workers. “The contribution and eligibility of those, who want to come back, will be considered before allowing them into his party fold. All party colleagues will be taken into confidence. Their suggestions will be respected and a decision will be taken accordingly,” the NCP founder said.
